Biology

Torkoal is a tortoise-like, quadruped Pokémon. It has a large black rock-like shell with holes that glow with a red warmth. Its skin is a reddish brown with gray-black bands on its legs and neck. It has a long neck and its eyes seem permanently closed. Torkoal lives in mountains, where it looks for coal. It uses the coal to fill the hollow spaces in its shell, and then burns it for energy. When it blows out smoke from its nostrils and the top of its back, it sounds like a locomotive horn. It blows out black smoke before fleeing and while being attacked.

In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

A Torkoal appears as the main Pokémon of the Team MagmaadminTabitha, who trusts it enough to have it hold the Blue Orb while they were given an order to guard the artifact. Tabitha's Torkoal has the special ability to use its smoke to hypnotize and poison enemies.

Pokédex entries

Torkoal digs through mountains in search of coal. If it finds some, it fills hollow spaces on its shell with the coal and burns it. If it is attacked, this Pokémon spouts thick black smoke to beat a retreat.

Torkoal digs through mountains in search of coal. If it finds some, it fills hollow spaces on its shell with the coal and burns it. If it is attacked, this Pokémon spouts thick black smoke to beat a retreat.